LIFE-SIZED KAISER WILHELM II BUST

SKU: 20-337

$1,995.00

Many years ago I purchased this display bust of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The seller (a very trusted friend and colleague) told me then that it was one of two busts produced at Madame Tussauds™ London workshop for display in a museum or similar setting. It appears to have been cast from a mold and is made of a hard plastic-composite material. It presents an excellent likeness of Wilhelm II. Its eyes are hand painted and implanted with three-dimensional lashes. It also sports a luxurious mustache and a partial wiglet. Both are made of real human hair the same color as the Kaiser’s hair as a young man. Since the bust was designed to display headdresses appropriate for the Kaiser, it was unnecessary to fully cover his head with hair, which also saved the cost of a full wig. With a headdress in place, the hair can be combed down properly so that only the sides and back peek out from underneath.
I have owned the bust for at least ten years, during which I used it extensively for photographing high-end headdress items, including some that once belonged to Wilhelm II. It is now time for someone else to enjoy it. Its realism is spot on. I know when I put a pickelhaube on this bust, I feel as though the old boy is with me. I almost feel the need to stand to attention and click my heels!

If you have an important piece of headdress in your collection that you want to display in an absolutely first-rate manner, this is for you!

Description

Many years ago I purchased this display bust of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The seller (a very trusted friend and colleague) told me then that it was one of two busts produced at Madame Tussauds™ London workshop for display in a museum or similar setting. It appears to have been cast from a mold and is made of a hard plastic-composite material. It presents an excellent likeness of Wilhelm II. Its eyes are hand painted and implanted with three-dimensional lashes. It also sports a luxurious mustache and a partial wiglet. Both are made of real human hair the same color as the Kaiser’s hair as a young man. Since the bust was designed to display headdresses appropriate for the Kaiser, it was unnecessary to fully cover his head with hair, which also saved the cost of a full wig. With a headdress in place, the hair can be combed down properly so that only the sides and back peek out from underneath.
I have owned the bust for at least ten years, during which I used it extensively for photographing high-end headdress items, including some that once belonged to Wilhelm II. It is now time for someone else to enjoy it. Its realism is spot on. I know when I put a pickelhaube on this bust, I feel as though the old boy is with me. I almost feel the need to stand to attention and click my heels!

If you have an important piece of headdress in your collection that you want to display in an absolutely first-rate manner, this is for you!

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This is an interesting, very rare, large, table platter for Kaiser Wilhelm II while he sailed with the German fleet aboard the Battleship S. M. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II, which served as his flagship while he was with his fleet. Kaiser Wilhelm II was very intrigued by his Navy and his role within it. Plans for the Imperial German Navy’s expansion were constantly brewing between the Kaiser and his alter-ego, Admiral von Tirpitz, at the Navy Ministry. Naturally, as the German Empire’s Kaiser, Wilhelm was expected to live well, but he went FAR beyond that. Wilhelm lived in virtually the same style on his royal yacht, the S. M. Y. Hohenzollern, as he did at any of his palaces on land, INCLUDING the specially-designed dishware. The S. M. Y Hohenzollern carried special plates, saucers, etc., exclusively for use on that vessel. Another vessel also carried exclusive tableware, the Battleship S. M. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The S. M. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II was a pre dreadnaught battleship. It was a part of the Kaiser Friedrich III (Wilhelm II’s father) Battleship Class, which included a total of five ships. The S. M. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II was commissioned and entered fleet service in 1900. It served as the Kaiser’s fleet flagship (as well as the High Seas Fleet’s Flagship) from 1900 into 1906. It remained in this role until it was replaced by the S. M. S. Deutschland, which served as the Fleet Flagship from 1906 into 1913. (Naturally, a similar set of dishes was commissioned for the S. M. S. Deutschland!). The S. M. S. Friedrich der Grosse became Fleet Flagship in 1914. (I am not sure if the Kaiser ever sailed with that vessel or if it had any of HIS dishware). The High Seas Fleet’s final flagship was the S. M. S. Baden in 1917.
When the Kaiser hoisted his flag aboard the S. M. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II, he entertained officers from the fleet, as well as visiting foreign dignitaries. It was at these times that the Kaiser’s personal tableware was brought out to adorn the table. The platter measures a massive 13 1/2″ in diameter. [Please remember that a serving platter like this had far fewer examples within the exclusive tableware than a dinner plate or a salad/dessert plate]. The platter’s edge is trimmed with five smaller gold bands, one larger gold band, and one medium-size gold band. The magnificent platter is in near-mint condition. At its top, we see Kaiser Wilhelm’s flag crossed with his pennant. A blue bandeau imprinted in gold with S. M. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II appears beneath it. The platter’s center features a multicolored Golden Kette of the Order of the Black Eagle. [The latter were a non military family of decorations in which each male member of the House of Hohenzollern was invested. At the King of Prussia’s (later the Kaiser’s) discretion, lower levels of the order could be awarded to worthy recipients]. The centerpiece is VERY striking, to say the least.
The platter’s reverse displays the KPM logo (the porcelain manufacturing firm that served all Prussian Kings and Kaisers from the time of Frederick the Great through that of Wilhelm II). It also displays that the platter was placed into service in 1902, two years after the S. M. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II first sailed with the fleet.
This is one of our rarest examples of the Kaiser’s tableware.

Here is a simply stunning royal “Bon Bon” jar from Berlin’s fabled court jeweler J. Godet & Söhne’s workshops, which Kaiser Wilhelm II gifted to some fortunate recipient. Royal gifts from Kaiser Wilhelm II came in a wide variety of types. Any gift given by the Kaiser was significant. Highly-prized when initially given, they are even more avidly sought out by today’s collectors. The gifts range from jewelry (stickpins, cigarette cases, watches, brooches, etc.) to various other personal items. Today we are offering an unusual glass “Bon Bon” jar. In its time, the squat glass jar would have been a table or desk accessory. The jar measures 5 5/8” at its greatest width, 3 7/8” in diameter at the top, and 3 5/8” in diameter at the base. Its base displays a fine rayed design. Etched into the jar’s side we see “Wilhelm II Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preussen.” Fitted to the jar’s top is a fine-silver and leather-covered lid. Affixed to the center of the lid’s leather background is an ultra-high-quality silver Hohenzollern Eagle that measures 1 ½” x 2.” Its side is hallmarked “J. Godet – .950.” [Berlin’s J. Godet & Söhne was one of the Kaiser and the royal family’s better-known court jewelers, among the likes of Gebrüder Friedlander, Wagner & Söhne, etc. These firms specialized in orders and decorations, as well as assorted silver and gold gifts]. The jar’s workmanship and overall condition is first-rate. Filled with any number of items, or displayed as is, it will make a striking addition to any collection.

HAND PAINTED, FRAMED PORCELAIN OF KAISER WILHELM II

SKU: 20-121

$795.00

This is a stunning, hand painted, porcelain image of Kaiser Wilhelm II of the Regiments der Garde du Corps dress uniform. The framed presentation measures 12″ x 9 ½,” and the framed image measures 9″ x 6 ½.” The frame is quite ornate. The image shows the Kaiser in dress uniform (without helmet or supravest). He has on the dress shoulder boards of his rank and is holding his sword. The colors of the porcelain are quite vibrant. It is quite handsome. On his right sleeve is a small chip. It could be corrected easily with a bit of attention. It is not too noticeable, and blends in fairly well with the rest of the tunic. It is not detractive, in my opinion. This will look super on your wall!

About Us

I'm Kenneth (Ken) J. Greenfield, currently of New Port Richey, Florida, located on the West Coast of Florida in the Tampa Bay area. I started out as a collector of Imperial German Militaria, particularly items dealing with the Imperial German Air Service in the early 1960's. After more than forty years of avid collecting, I began to sell a few items to upgrade my collection and help finance my collecting "habit." I attended militaria shows, both to buy and sell. I wanted to spend more time at home and less traveling for the national companies that I had worked for; so, starting my own business seemed like an attractive alternative. I like nothing better than talking with others about militaria, and introducing newcomers to the joys of owning a "piece of history."